Abdul-Jabbar struggled naming his lists of the so-called “Mount Rushmore” of NBA greats. Still, Abdul-Jabbar took offense to LeBron James’ list that included himself, (Michael) Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird at the expense of (Bill) Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and (Oscar) Robertson.

“LeBron James was talking about how he’s the best ever, but he never saw Wilt play,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “If he had, he wouldn’t say that. Whenever he averages 55 points a game, then I might want to listen to what he has to say. I’m not trying to put LeBron down. He’s awesome. He’s the best player in this era at this point. But he didn’t see Bill Russell play. When his team wins eight consecutive NBA championships, maybe I’ll compare him to Bill Russell.”

Where does Abdul-Jabbar rank himself?

“As long as I’m in the discussion, that’s fine with me,” said Abdul-Jabbar, who also won three national championships at UCLA. “That’s not something I get excited about it, but I do feel I belong in the conversation.”